Lucas County Commissioners Question Sheriff's Budget and Township Patrol Contracts

Lucas County Commissioners spent part of their Tuesday budget review debating how much the county spends to police its townships and how much those communities contribute.

Under Ohio law, sheriffs are required to "preserve public peace." Townships and cities that do not have their own police forces receive deputy responses to emergencies as a baseline service.

Monclova and Springfield townships go further. Both pay extra for additional sheriff's department response and patrols beyond what the law requires.

As he presented his budget, Sheriff Mike Navarre said the two townships will together pay nearly $3.3 million in 2027 under their contracts.

Commissioners and their staff doubt that figure will be enough. They believe the county general fund would have to cover the shortfall, which is a concern given how tight the budget is. The commissioners have questioned the contract terms, while the sheriff has defended his numbers.

"I believe the contracts with Monclova and Springfield, especially with the way they are structured for 2027, would adequately cover the additional added service that they are receiving in addition to the statutory obligation," Navarre said.

Commissioner Anita Lopez suggested the county could seek more money from the arrangements. "There is an opportunity for you to negotiate more revenue to increase your budget through this township contracts," she said.

Navarre responded that the new contracts would reimburse Lucas County for personnel costs in both townships, including estimated 2027 wages.

The sheriff appeared before commissioners to present his department's budget. Commissioners had asked every department to cut 13%. Even after eliminating 20 positions, the sheriff's budget rose 8.5%, in part because of wage increases the commissioners approved last year.

The county has until the end of the year to submit its final budget.